Building or educational toys for constructing various types of structures generally are packaged in a kit form. Such a kit can have a variety of structural components, including fasteners, accessories, and tools. A marketing research shows that kids are highly imaginative and can use their imagination to build whatever structure they desire, such as church, fort, ramp, dog pen, tent, barricade, heliport, etc., for example, when playing with action figures, dolls, etc. The toy components need not be elaborate and expensive for kids to have fun. The complexity of some of today""s toys can deter kids from playing with them.
It would be desirable to develop a simple and yet entertaining constructional toy that will entertain kids or even adults, and a simple way of packaging such a toy. The present invention addresses this need.
The present invention relates to a toy, in particular, a building toy kit, and a method of forming such a toy, and a packaging method and a package thereof.
One aspect of the present invention is a toy component. The toy component can be any object having a planar section with a planar surface and at least one peripheral end. The peripheral end glows when light is incident on the planar surface. In this respect, at least the planar section can be formed of a material that propagates light incident on the planar surface to the peripheral end. One such material can be fluorescent acrylic.
The object can be a planar rectangular member that forms the planar section, which can have four corners and four peripheral ends that glow when light is incident on the planar surface. The corners and the peripheral ends can be rounded, such as by routing and/or flame polishing. The rounded comers and peripheral ends can be flame polished to enhance the glow.
The object also can be an angled member having a pair of planar sections extending outwardly at an angle from a common intersection (apex). Each of the planar sections can have two comers and three peripheral ends that glow when light is incident on any of the planar surfaces. All four corners and the peripheral ends can be rounded, such as by routing, and can be flame polished to enhance the glow.
Another aspect of the present invention is a building toy kit. This kit contains at least two differently shaped objects, such as those described above, with each having the toy component features described above.
Another aspect of the present invention is a toy kit package for the above described toy kit including an open carton and a shrink wrap for maintaining the objects and the open carton together. Specifically, a toy kit can include a plurality of first angled members, at least a pair of second angled members, and a plurality of planar members. The first angled members each can have a pair of planar sections extending outwardly at an angle of substantially less than 90xc2x0, such as 42xc2x0. The second angled members each can have a pair of planar sections extending outwardly substantially at a right angle. The second angled members can be seated in the carton so that one of the planar sections of one of the second angled members can rest on a bottom of the carton and one of the planar sections of the other of the second angled members can be stacked on top of the one planar section of the one second angled member, with the other planar sections of the second angled members spaced apart and facing each other. The first angled members can be stacked and positioned between the other planar sections of the second angled members so that they can rest on the one planar section of the other second angled member. At least one of the planar members can be slid into the carton from each side facing the profile of the stacked first angled members.
The height or length of the planar members and the stacked first angled members can be at about the same level. The height or depth of the carton can be less than half the height or length of the planar members or the stacked first angled members, but greater than half the height of the second angled members.
Another aspect of the present invention is a method of packaging the toy kit described above. One of the second angled members can be seated in an open carton, with one of the planar sections thereof resting on a bottom of the carton. The other of the second angled members can be seated in the carton, with one of the planar sections thereof stacked on top of the one planar section of the one second angled member, and with the other planar sections of the second angled members spaced apart and facing each other. The first angled members can be stacked and positioned between the other planar sections of the second angled members so that the stacked first angled members rest on the one planar section of the other second angled member. At least one of the planar members can be placed in the carton on each side of the stacked first angled members, facing the profile thereof. The toy kit can be shrink wrapped together with the container.
Yet another aspect of the present invention is a method of enhancing the glow at a peripheral end of a planar fluorescent acrylic sheet. To enhance the glow, the peripheral end can be rounded and then flame polished. The peripheral end can be rounded smooth by routing and/or flame polishing the peripheral end.